Vending-machine.



J. E. REESE.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 19-12.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEBTSSHEBT 1v IN VEN TOR 5/: f. feeu'e J. E. REESE.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2 Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

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com: nnwann REESE, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, assrenon 'ro THE Accmim'rINSURANCE MACHINE COIPIPANY OF AMERICA, 01 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPO-RATION OF MISSOURI.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

. Application filed April 16, 1912. Serial No. 691,119.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. Reese, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefierson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for vending insurance policies andthe like, and its object is to provide a novel and improvedcoin-controlled machine of this kind.

The policy or other paper to be issued is filled out by the purchaserafter a coin-controlled closure is operated to expose-the policy, andafter the policy is properly filled out, it is delivered from themachine by means of a delivery mechanism which is also coin-controlled.A record of the transaction is also made and retained in the machine.

The machine consists ina combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine.Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are,perspective views of certain'parts of the delivery mechanism.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a base on which ismounted and mechanism. The base rests on the open top of a box 12 and isrigidly fastened thereto in any'suitable manner. In the top of thecasing is an opening 13 provided with a hinged cover or closure 14 whichis preferably made of glass. Inside the casing, beneat-h the top thereofand under the opening 13, is mounted a shelf 15. The bottom of the cover14 has adepending stud 16 provided with a notch 17 which latter isengageable by a latch, whereby the cover is locked. The latch is alongitudinally slidable bar 18 su ported by guides 18 carried by the shel and having an opening at one of its ends so as to straddle the stud 16and enter the notch 17. Upon sliding the bar forward, the edge of theopening which seats in the notch 18 moved out of the same, therebyreleasing the cover and allowing the same to swing open. The cover hasspring hinges 19 so that it plate 20, pivoted at itsupper end on a rod 721 suitably supported in an aperture in the top of the casing. Nearitslower end the plate is connected by a link 22 to the latch bar 18. Acoiled spring 22 anchored at one end to the top of the casing isconnected at its other end-to the link. On the top of the casing ismounted a semi-circular fiat tube 23 having a slot 24 through which thecoin for operating the. mechanism is inserted. The tube contains asliding pusher comprising a metal strip 25 which is curved to conform'to the curvature of the tube. From one side of the pusher extends a pin26 which passes through an arcuate slot 27 in one side of the tube andhas on the outside of the latter a suitable handle 28. The pusher islocated in the tube to the rear of the slot 24 and is also provided witha return spring 29 which carries the pusher back to its normal positionafter it has been actuated.

One end of the tube 23 is in communication with a coin chute 30extending downward into the casing 11 from an opening in the topthereof. In one side of the chute, adjacent to the top of the casing 11,is a slot through which one edge of the plate 20 extends into the chute,said ed a being curved. The distance between this edge of the plate andthe opposite wall of the chute is less than the diameter of the coin forwhich the machine is designed, in view of which it will be apparent thatwhen the coin is pushed into the chute-by the pusher 25, it will bejammed against the edge of the plate 20, whereby said plate is swung onits pivot out of the chute, and the latch-bar 18 is actuated, throughthe link 22, to release the cover 14. When the coin clears the plate 20,the latter is sw back by the spring 22, which places tie latch-bar in aposition to snap into thenotch 17 upon shutting the cover,

whereupon the latter is again locked.

, The coin-chute has a lateral extension or branch 31 which terminatesat one of the side walls of the casing 11 and opens into a cup 32mounted on said walk 0n the outside of the casing. Coins smaller thanthe one for which the machine is designed pass down the coin-chutewithout actuating the plate 20 and are deflected by the curved edge ofthe latter into the extension 31 and are delivered by the latter intothe cup 32.

The policies to be delivered by the machine are in the form of a strip33 Wound in a roll 33 which is carried by a transverse shaft 34 mountedin the casing 11. Que side of the strip will contain suitable printeddata and blank spaces to be filled out by the purchaser, and the otherside will be prepared to serve as a transfer surface or car bon paper,in order that a copy of each policy issued by the machine may be made.This copy is made on a strip 35 wound in a roll 35 carried by a shaft 36mounted in the casing parallel to the shaft 34. The two strips extendupward to and over guide rollers 37 mounted in the casing adjacent toone end of the shelf 15 across which they pass in superposed relation,the policy strip 33 being on top with the printed side uppermost, andthe copy-strip 35 being beneath the policy strip. It will therefore beseen that the name, date and other data written by the purchaser on'thepolicy strip is duplicated on the strip 35 and a record of the issuedpolicy is made. At the other end of the shelf is a feed roller 38 underwhich the policy strip passes and then extends upward through a deliveryslot 39 in the top of the casing 11. The roller 38 is mounted in thedelivery slot, and the latter has a curved guard plate 40 secured to thetop of the casing and extending over the roller, one end of the platebeing spaced -a sufficient distance from the casing top to permit thedelivery of the policy. Cooperatingwith the roller 38 is a companionfeed roller 41, the latter being located beneath the former. The tworollers are set close together so that when they are rotated they willdraw the two strips forward, bot-h strips passing -between said rollers.The record or copy strip 35 extends downward and'passes through a slot42 in the base 10 and thence into the box 12. A coin-controlledmechanism is also provided for'operating the feedrollers 38 and 41.-This mechanism comprises the following parts: In the sidewalls of thecasing 11 is mounted a transverse shaft 43 having one of itsendsiprojecting from the casing and fitted onthe outside of the latterwith a crank-handle 44. On the shaft 543, inside the'casing, is fast adisk 45 having on one of its faces a lug 46. Loosely mounted on theshaft 43 beside the disk 45 is a disk 47, between the priphery of whichlatter disk and the periphery of the roller 41 the strip 35 passes, saiddisk and roller being set close together so that the stripis drawnforward when the disk is rotated. The

roller 41 communicates motion to the roller 38, whereby the policy strip33 is delivered as already described.

The disk 47 is coupled to the disk 45 by means of the coin so that whenthe shaft 43 is turned, the feed rollers will be actuated. This drivingconnection between the disks is,accomplished by the following structure:

In the face of the disk 47 which is contiguous to the disk 45 is acircular channel 48, the width of which is such that a coin of theproper denomination cannot pass thereinto. The lug 46 is on that face ofthe disk 45 which is contiguous to the channeled face of the disk 47,and the lug is so located that it extends into the channel 48, itsdimensions being such that it can work freely in the channel. Theperiphery of the disk 48 is cut away at regular intervals to formrecesses 49 which open into the channel 48. The width of these recessesis such that a coin of the proper denomination may enter the same andextend into that portion of the channel into which the recesses open,the width of the channel being such that the coin does not project fromthe periphery of the disk 47. However, as already described. the coincannot pass along the channel. It will therefore be seen that when acoin is dropped into one of the recesses it will be held stationarytherein, and upon turning the shaft 43, the lug 46 pushes against thecoin and causes the disk 47 to turn, and thus actuate the feed rollers38 and 41. The diskv 47 is so located that its recesses 49 are in linewith the bottom ofthe coin chute 30, the coins therefore dropping fromthe chute into the recesses. The disk 47 is provided with anoverthrow-preventer in the form of a flat spring 50 secured to the wallof the casing 11 and having its free end shaped to seat in recesses 51in the periphery of said disk.

Extending into the box 12 from the base 10 is a coin receptacle in theshape of a tube 52 in which the coins are deposited and held in the sameorder they are inserted into the machine. It will thereforebe possibleto readily determine which policies were issued by means of a spuriouscoin'or other token. Thus if the fifth token in the tube is spurious.itwill be evident that the same was used to obtain the fifth policy, andas a duplicate is made of each policy issued, roper notation of theattempted fraud can e made on the duplicate of the fifth policy, so thatwhen the original is presented, payment may be properly refused. Inorderto prevent the coin from dropping out of the recess 49 be fore itreaches the chute 52, a curved guard plate 53 is provided which extendsin close proximity to the disk 47 on outside thereof. In the casing 10,near the bottom thereof. is mounted a lever 54 having at one of its endsa hook 55 which is adapted to hook into recesses 56 in the disk 47 forlocking the same. The lever is pivoted at 57, and carries an upstandingarm 58, the upper end of which is engaged by the stud 16 when the cover14 is closed. A spring 59 swings the lever into locking position. Therecord strip 35 passes down from the feed roller 41 through the slot 42in the base and is deposited in the box 12. Suitable means will beprovided for gaining access to the box for the purpose of removingtherecord strip and the coins.

The machine is operated as follows: A coin of the proper denomination isinserted into the tube 23, and, the pusher 25 is actuated, whereupon thecover 14 is unlocked and swung open and the policy strip '33- ontheshelf 15 is exposed. The purchaser now fills out the policy, a duplicaterecord being simultaneously made on the strip 35. When the cover swingsopen, the stud 16 moves away from the upper end of the arm 58, whereuponthe spring 59 swings the lever 54 "into position to lock the disk 47.The p urchaser now closes the cover and turns the handle 44 whereuponthe feed rollers 38 and 41 are actuated, and the policy is dischargedfrom the casing and torn' off by the purchaser. When the coin in therecess 49 comes opposite the mouth of the tube 52 it drops thereinto.The lever 54 is swung into release position by the engagement of thestud 16 with the arm 58 when the cover is closed. Stop lugs 61 limit theswing of the handle, and a spring 62 connected to the shaft 43 restoresthe parts to normal position.

The invention is not limited to the vending of insurance policies, andit will, of

course, be understood that the apparatus illustrated can be varied inconstruction within considerable limits, withoutdeparture from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a casing having an opening; a shelf mounted belowthe opening, a coin-controlled closure for the opening, a paper supplyin the casing, the paper being carried across the shelf, and a coin-'controlled mechanism for discharging the paper from the casing.

2. The combination of a casing having an opening; a shelf mounted belowthe opening, a coin-controlled closure for the opening, a'paper supplyin the casing, the paper being carried across the shelf, a record stripextending across the shelf beneath the paper and on which strip theinscription on the paper is duplicated, and a coin-controlled mechanismfor discharging the paper from the casing and feeding the record strip.

3. The combination of a casing havingan opening; a shelf mounted belowthe opening, a coin-controlled closure for the open-- ing, a papersupply in the casing, the paper being 'carried across the shelf andhaving'on its under side a transfer medium, a record an opening; a shelfmounted below the opening, .a coin-controlled closure for the opening, apaper supply in the casing, the

paper being carried across the shelf, a coinccntrolled mechanism fordischarging the paper from the casing, a lock for said mechanism, andmeans controlled by the aforesaid closure for operating the lock.

5. The combination of a casing having an opening; a shelf mounted belowthe opening, a coin-controlled closure for the opening, a paper supplyin the casing; the paper being carried across the shelf, acoincontrolled mechanism for discharging the paper from the casing, andmeans for lockmg said mechanism when the aforesaid clo sure is opened,and for releasing the mechanism when the closure is closed.

6. The combination of-a casing having an opening; a shelf mounted belowthe opening, a coin-controlled closure for the opening, a paper supplyin the casing, the paper being carried across the shelf, acoincontrolled mechanism for discharging the paper from the casing, alock for said mechanism, an arm extending from the lock, and a lug onthe aforesaid closure, said lug striking the arm when the closure isclosed and actuating the lock to release the mechanism.

opening a shelf mounted below the opening, a closure for the opening, apaper supply ,in the casing, the paper being carried across the shelf, alatch for the closure, and a coin-controlled"mechanism for operating thelatch and for discharging the paper from the casing, the latch beingoperated initially to permit the closure to open.

' 9. The combination of a casing having an opening, a shelf mountedbelow the opening, a closure for the opening,' a paper supply in thecasing, the aper being carried across the shelf, a late for the closure.

at record strip extending across the shelf beneath the paper, and onwhich strip the inscription on the paper is duplicated, and acoin-controlledmechanism for operating the latch and for discharging thepaper from the casing" and feeding the record strip, the latch beingoperated initially to permit the closure to open.

10. The combination of a casing having an opening, a shelf mounted belowthe opening, a closure for the opening, a paper supply in the casing,the paper being carried across the shelf, and having on Its, under sidea transfer medium, a record strip extending across the shelf beneath thepaper,

and on which strip the inscription on the paper is duplicated, and acoin-controlled mechanism for operating the latch and for dischargingthe paper from the casing and feeding the record strip, the latch beingoperated initially to permit the closure to open.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD REESE. Witnesses:

GEo. E. SCHUMAN, ALEXANDER SCHUMAN.

